The Green Bay Packers’ decision to release Jimmy Graham, a move first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, should begin a youth movement at the tight end position in Green Bay.
Graham, who turned 33 in November, regressed physically and was unable to provide consistent impact in the passing game for the Packers, who viewed him as an athletic, touchdown-scoring machine when they signed him to a three-year, $30 million deal in March of 2018. Over 32 games, Graham caught just 93 passes and scored only five touchdowns.
The Packers tried to replace Jared Cook with Martellus Bennett and then Graham, and both high-profile signings busted. Now, it’s time for the youngsters to step into leading roles.
The most obvious beneficiary of Graham’s release is 2019 third-round pick Jace Sternberger, who will enter his second season with breakout potential. He brings speed, collegiate experience as a big-play threat in the passing game and positional versatility to the table, and after an injury-plagued first season, he’ll have a chance to be a major contributor in 2020. He flashed ability late in his first season, eventually catching a touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers in the NFC title game, and his total snaps will almost certainly rise significantly next season.
It’s possible Sternberger could become a priority in the passing game.
During his final season at Texas A&M, Sternberger produced 832 receiving yards, scored 10 touchdowns and averaged 17.3 yards per catch. GM Brian Gutekunst believes he can be a matchup problem from multiple positions in the passing game. In Year 2, he should be more physically developed and well-versed in the nuances of the playbook, potentially powerful developments for a talented player about to inherit a bigger opportunity playing with Aaron Rodgers.
The Packers are also expected to bring back exclusive rights free agent Robert Tonyan, a converted receiver who will enter his third season playing the tight end position. He caught 10 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown in 2019.
Don’t discount the Packers’ desire to add young but experienced help at tight end. Austin Hooper, 25, is expected to be a top target in free agency for Gutekunst. A first-time Pro Bowler in 2019, Hooper could give the offense an ultra-reliable pass-catcher to team with Sternberger and Tonyan. He’ll be costly, but he’d provide a safe, consistent target in the intermediate parts of the field for Rodgers while also lessening some of the immediate expectations of Sternberger, who may still need another year before he’s truly ready to assume a full-time starting role.
The Packers should also be expected to draft another tight end, although the class of incoming tight ends is considered weak. Even so, drafting one capable of playing a future role in the offense is important, especially if Gutekunst can’t lure Hooper or another veteran tight end to Green Bay.
The one player in question is Marcedes Lewis. He turns 36 in May, but he provided valuable run blocking for Matt LaFleur’s offense in 2019. The Packers may want to give him one more shot to be the impact run blocker at tight end.
Even if Lewis is back in a part-time role, the youth movement at tight end is coming in Green Bay. Graham is gone, clearing the way for Sternberger and any potential additions – like Hooper – to take the torch at the position.
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